Restating the question/problem statement

Question

Hi there,

- When I hear the prompt of a case I repeat the situation including the question.
- After that I typically ask some clarification questions.
- And as a final step I say somethhing like: ok then we have the problem XYZ - correct? If the interveiwer says yes, then I say, ok let me write it down.
- Then I say can I take a minute to structure the problem.

So what I am essentially doing is to mention the problem statement twice. After summarizing the prompt and after the clarification question before I jump into the structuring. I do that to make sure I am still aligned with the client/interviewer as the clarification questions may lead to a more specific problem statement or a slightly different one compared to the case prompt.

Does that make sense? Or would you recommend not doing it as it could be wired repeating the problem statement twice in a short time?

Cheers

Answer 1

Hey!

To me, this part is off “When I hear the prompt of a case I repeat the situation including the question”. I see no point in in repeating what the interviewer had just said.

You could very briefly summarize what you heard, then proceed with clarifying questions, then time to think about the structure

OR

Directly clarifying questions, then summary with all you heard (again, focus is on summary, not on repeating), then quiet time to structure.

You also do not need to announce you will write it down :) Do that directly, either the first time you hear it (I would recommend this) or at the start of your structuring time.

Hope this helps,

Ariadna

Answer 2

You are describing the process, but not what you are trying to achieve with that process… just following the process has no value on itself, but making sure you understand the context (+understand any technical terms), you clearly define the scope (of potential actions) and refine / better define the objective is what you are trying to achieve.

I can't stress enough how important this part of the case interview is… this is where you understand what is really unique about the situation, which is key to then develop a customized approach. So you have to be purposeful when executing this “process”.

Answer 3

Hi there,

your recap of the prompt should be shorter than the time it took the interviewer to give you the prompt. Clarifying questions should be asked to actually clarify whatever might be unclear to you regarding objective and intended scope of the case and/or whatever words/terminology you might not have understood. You want to validate the objective and confirm whether it is the only objective of the case. Then you can ask for some time to write down your thoughts regarding approach and structure.

There is no point in regurgitating what the interviewer already told you - you'd be wasting valuable time.

Hope that helps

Answer 4

Hi there,

I would simplify it:

Play back the case
Ask your clarification questions (operationalize the goal + understand the context/business model)
State your intentions to structure the case and ask for time

No need to duplicate efforts or statements.

Cheers,

Florian

Answer 5

Hi there,

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

I see no reason why you should do the third step in the process you described, because if you summarize the prompt and summarize something wrongly, the interviewer will tell you. That's exactly what the summary is for.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

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